Malawi awards best filmmakers

Forum for Ability Society (Foas) in partnership with NOVA Employment on Sunday awarded best film makers during the Focus on Ability Short Film Festival 2017 in Blantyre.

The 2017 winner, a student from The Polytechnic, a constituent college of University of Malawi, Tawina Maluwa, who was the only female filmmaker with her Like Any Other Teacher, became the overall winner.

Maluwa (R) being presentedwith a certificate

Focus on Ability executive director Mac Donald Nyirenda said the short film festival asked filmmakers to focus on the abilities of people with a disability and tell a story on film for the world to view.

“This is the first time in Malawi to award short filmmakers in partnership with NOVA Employment,” he said.

Last year, the event was held in Zimbabwe. In 2009 chief executive officer of NOVA Employment Martin Wren began the festival with a belief in the abilities of people with disability.

His goal was to bring that belief to the world through film where he recognised the power of film to challenge people’s beliefs and perceptions about the abilities of people with disabilities.

The Focus on Ability film festival is for people of all talent with many first-time filmmakers earning major prizes, and this year, 210 films entered the competition from 19 countries.

The event was attended by, among others, Makande Special Needs learners and Mountain View School for the Blind.n